


Zari Saves the Day

by cflynnrun



Series: The 12 Days of Fic-mas 2018 [8]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: 12 Days of Christmas, Ex-Girlfriends, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Ficmas, Ficmas 2018, Flirting, Loosely related to Christmas?, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 10:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17099054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cflynnrun/pseuds/cflynnrun
Summary: On the eighth day of Fic-mas, Flynny gave to me:Zari rescues Charlie





	Zari Saves the Day

**Author's Note:**

> There was absolutely zero editing involved here, bc if I don't post it before I go out with friends tonight, it wouldn't happen. Let me know if I need to fix stuff! I hate typos in my own work, so I might proof this another time...

         Charlie was remarkably good at getting herself out of trouble. It was infuriating. Every time Zari thought that Karma had finally caught up to her, she managed to worm her way out again. And Zari thought that the day Karma caught up to Charlie, she’d _finally_ feel vindicated; that she’d dance a little jig and rub it in her face a little. But now that it was happening…

         Their mission had brought them to a time and place that “Charlie” had visited before. And she was stuck in this form, but that didn’t keep Maria from recognizing her. And as much fun as it was to watch Charlie get her comeuppance, it was also kind of pathetic. Because Charlie wasn’t her normal confident self – she seemed more like a sad, scared puppy. And maybe she just couldn’t stand Charlie seeming so pathetic, but that’s not _why_ she’d say she’d done it. If anyone asks she just wanted Charlie to owe her. Definitely not because she’d found herself rather attached to the shifter…

         After a bit of eavesdropping (playing it off like she was getting something from the bar, even though she didn’t drink) she’d figured out that Charlie and Maria used to be something more than just friends. And she knew people didn’t really _win_ break ups, except that they totally did. And it was obvious that Maria had come out on top. Charlie couldn’t exactly brag about traveling on a time ship – blackmailed into helping them stop magical beings causing trouble. And she never said she was single, but she hadn’t said she wasn’t either, so Maria could read between the lines. So even though Charlie’s life was _actually_ _pretty awesome_ , it certainly didn’t sound that way.

         Zari found herself fiddling with the ring on her hand, trying to figure out what to do. The ring wasn’t really anything special – just something Gideon had fabricated for one of their missions – but spinning it on her finger had become a meditation of sorts. It also had given her an idea. She grabbed two “gin and tonics” that were no gin and all tonic and headed towards Charlie.

         “Hey babe,” she said with a quick kiss to Charlie’s cheek, right along the edge of her mouth. It was obviously more than friendly, but the hand she placed along Charlie’s back really cemented her point. Charlie had taken the drink almost on autopilot, but she didn’t drink it. There was a blush spreading across her cheeks that made Zari smirk. She’d never had this sort of power in any of their interactions before; Charlie always had a retort or look that threw Zari off her game.

         She held out her hand to Maria, introducing herself, even though her spying meant Zari knew exactly who she was. She made sure to hold her drink in her left hand, subtly displaying the ring she had switched. Charlie nearly choked when she saw it, but it seemed to bring some of her confidence back. She stood nodding as Zari dominated the conversation, slowly looking less and less like the sad puppy she had resembled before.

 

* * *

 

 

         Charlie was dying. Of all the exes to run into, Maria would be her last choice. Normally, Charlie was the one to run at the end of the relationship – commitment issues, some would say. But Maria had messed her up more than she wanted to admit. Because Charlie thought she knew her, thought she understood their relationship. But apparently not, because she’d been blindsided when she found Maria with someone else. She understood casual, she could do non-monogamous, but it was different when you knew ahead of time…

         So here she was, dying just a little inside with every word Maria said. She was talking like each story about her new girl friend didn’t drive the knife in a little further. If she was being honest, this was probably Karma making Charlie her bitch. And she probably deserved it. Didn’t make it any easier. And no matter how many times she tried to bow out of this terror of a conversation, Maria wouldn’t take the hint. Or maybe she was enjoying torturing Charlie.

         When Zari walked over with drinks in her hand, she expected a rescue – an out to get away from Maria – maybe a little alcohol in her drink. Instead, she got tonic water and… a kiss? Maybe? Zari’s lips had brushed the corner of her mouth, but she was obviously aiming for her cheek, right? And why the fuck was Zari kissing her anyways? They weren’t even friends, could hardly stand each other usually. She felt herself blushing and looked anywhere but at the women in front of her. She wasn’t used to this, being the one lost and flustered in a conversation, but Zari was handling Maria like she knew what she’d done to Charlie. She wasn’t sure she liked this new dynamic; she liked being able to throw Zari off her game; made a sport out of it, really. But she wasn’t going to turn down a gift when it fell in her lap. Or rather, wrapped itself around her.

        Maria noticed the ring before she did, made a comment that didn’t quite register until she looked down at Zari’s hand. If either woman noticed her choke on her drink, they didn’t say anything. Zari was making up a story on the fly, outlining their whole relationship. She was on a roll, so Charlie let her roll with it, only speaking little words of confirmation as they went. It took everything in her power not to roll her eyes at the romantic proposal Zari described, but Maria ate it up. Despite everything that had happened between them, Maria seemed genuinely happy for Charlie. And Charlie didn’t know how to feel about that.

* * *

 

 

         Zari finally pulled them away after 10, agonizing, minutes. Maria hugged them both and wished them luck, and the knot that had been tangling up Charlie’s insides seemed to calm a bit. Zari walked them both to the bar and finally ordered Charlie a real drink. They didn’t speak until they moved away from the bar.

         “Um…” Charlie _really_ hated not knowing what to say. “I’m not sure what just happened there, but… thank you? I think?”

         Zari laughed. “You were dying.”

         “Hey!” Charlie tried to act outraged, but the genuine smile on Zari’s face made it hard to even play at being angry. Charlie never got smiles like that. Not from Zari at least. “Thank you though. For real.”

         Zari stilled, looking at Charlie. She studied her for a moment. “You’re welcome.”

         Charlie opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it again when she realized she didn’t have a snarky comment to take back the power.

         “Besides, it’ll be nice knowing that you owe me.”

         “I owe you?”

         “Well I did save your ass…”

         “It’s a nice ass. Worth saving.”

         “Meh.” Charlie playfully smacked Zari. This she could handle. Flirting was way easier than emotions. She was _good_ at flirting.        

         “So how do you propose I pay you back?” Charlie was imagining late night food runs, or extra slots on the chore wheel. But the predatory look in Zari’s eyes, and the once over she gave Charlie’s body… Charlie shivered, her cocky smirk gone. It had made it’s way onto Zari’s face this time. Zari sipped slowly from her straw, looking at Charlie over her glass.

         “I’m sure I’ll think of something…”


End file.
